Before I begin, I should disclose some information about myself. I am currently involved in the management of the Legion MU, was the former commander, and in the past I was the commander of a former UK government military group, the UKSF. I have also been the PP of one of the UK’s political parties numerous times, and spent one month as the country Vice President. I think it is important to point this out so that readers can judge for themselves if what I say is unduly biased.

Background

Recently the CP of the United Kingdom (BigAnt) has been musing on forum about the creation of another MU that will be funded by government monies. For those of you who are of newer generations, you may not recall that in previous terms there were government MU’s of various stripes (i.e. BEF, NHS beginners, UKAF, etc.). These groups met their demise as a result of funding and logistical challenges, either as a result of game mechanics or due to an inability to compete with supplies and organizational prowess offered by independent MU’s (i.e. Legion, TUP Family, Royal Navy, etc.).

Currently the UK has an ‘official’ MU, the Legion MU, that operates as the de facto national unit where new players are directed to join. It was formerly known as the ESO Legion, but was stripped of this title and the trappings of its former identity in order to be politically neutral. It was offered freely by the players that operated and funded it, and these players continue to do so to this day. Political postings are forbidden and players from all parties are welcomed without any preferential treatment or access.

This MU has held the top spot on the national leaderboard almost without exception since its establishment as the ‘official’ UK MU by former CP Talon Karrde.

The Issue at Hand

So this brings us to the present.

Under current Erepublik game trends/rules, the government struggles to maintain an income that provides for MPPs, growth schemes, emergency supplies, and player support. There have been calls recently to abolish the Call to Arms program rather than raising taxes to support it. So why at this time would the country president seek to spend precious resources on yet another attempt at a government MU? Has there been evidence of failure on the part of Legion? Is there anything to suggest that a new government MU would add value?

In my opinion, the answer to all of these questions is a resounding NO. The creation of a new government MU is not based on any rational or logical arguments, but is rather motivated by personal ambitions and political greed. The stated rationale for this new MU is that it can be more centrally controlled and can be used to get supplies to big hitters more efficiently using an IRC supply regime that would support the UK’s tanks.

So will that work? IRC-based systems used in the past have typically failed to have much of an impact, with the exception of emergency channels that have been used to supply foreign allies in times of extreme need. The UK simply does not have very many players, and fewer still who use IRC regularly. I personally believe that the use of taxpayer funds to subsidize tanking by wealthy and older players is also fundamentally unfair and detrimental in the long term. We should be using this income to support new players that struggle to progress in this game and to support recruitment efforts that would increase our population numbers.

I believe that a better strategy for the national MU program is to elevate other MU’s to the same status as Legion, if any are willing to do so. There is no reason why Legion needs to be the solitary MU that carries the veneer of official status. The United States has long used a system that supports multiple MU’s to operate on behalf of their nation. With the coordination and collaboration of other MU’s, we could build a stronger supply base, share revenues and income to better support our players, and maintain the flexibility to provide unique and attractive gaming experiences to our members. I have had the pleasure of working with the Royal Navy in limited form in the past, and I know that the Legion method is not the only one that works. Let us draw on this decentralized organizational structure to help unite our forces and foster an environment that welcomes new ideas and mutual growth.

Old ideas that have been proven ineffective are NOT the way forward. I don’t claim to know all the answers, and I would encourage all of you who have made it this far in the article to leave any comments that constructively suggest ways for the UK to move forward.

For a look at some polling and statistical data regarding the UK's MUs and other data, take a peek at Joshua Whelan's extensive article which can be accessed here

I think my feeling on that Joshua is that the government simply cannot afford it. I would like to see the government stash funds for a rainy day and have an emergency fund available to supply tanks and allies when warranted.

I think having a redundant system is ultimately best, so if it could be configured with government input I think that would be a plus.

Arrlo, the initial investment for the company infrastructure would be upwards of 2,000 gold. The currency required to maintain it, such as running costs for supplies, would easily surpass 50,000GBP a month for an MU with 60-70 members.

This is why a government military won't work if it's open to just everybody. It would need to be limited to about 30 people because that's all we can afford.

It feels like we are running the country more haphazardly and opaquely all the time. The public is increasingly out of the loop on congress' decisions/disscussions, and congress is out of the loop or just ignored by the government.

"Number of fighters from Legion hitting for the eUK in a battle the CP and MoD asked us to lose whilst another DO was in effect."

Orders have always been followed to the letter of the MoD as we have to do. Last term communication dropped, we have to follow their orders, can't if they are not coming out - The issue you were referencing was when the MoD actually said to win that battle in the orders PM, the orders we follow.

"Apparently Serbians requested help today and only 6 eUKers showed up to the party."

A few more showed up, I think it was 8, 5 and a half (ex Legion probably now coming back) were from The Legion. 5 may not be a lot, but on an hour notice and only for Div 4 we represented over 50% of the eUK that did.

Having the official tag has clearly held us back more than push us forward.

Instead just set up a PM of active fighters from across the MU's we already have that can be used as 'task force', only supply em when needed, won't cost a crazy amount and won't disrupt existing organizations.

@jamesw - God forbid I should agree with you, but I think we have found a subject in which we can.

Horice used to depict BigAnt as a hero, now he is depicted as a drunk. A successful government MU would bring him back to glory.

I do not believe a large MU would benefit the nation, but I do believe a prestigious MU will. An MU of the UK's top 60 soldiers that can be directed to specific battles as necessary. 15 soldiers from each division would take part in this MU with 4 regiments (one division each). They can be directed to a specific battle and supplied in an effective manner when necessary.

If you look at MUs as creators or multipliers of damage or activity, all MUs play a certain role in that. However looking at the longevity and stability provided by Navy and Legion over the past year+, and the great start British Army has made in improving their stats, you have to say that there are certainly some MUs which do better than others in spreading out the benefits of being supplied weapons every day. If TUP F should ever be in a position to offer supplies to more than the select few members, and drop the requirement for TUP membership, maybe we'd have 5 competitive supplying MUs instead of the current 4.

Which would beg the question, is there really a need for a national MU to usurp this? I'd agree with Wayne's idea for a sort of MoD run group message for active, strong members in each division. If I had thought of this idea or it had been proposed when I was MoD, it would have been something I would've jumped upon instantaneously - I hope our current MoDs heed this great suggestion!

The problem is, Legion is given too much attention from the government than other MU's. You have to understand how frustrating this is for everyone else because whilst Legion is deemed by all to be the "Official" MU, all that we are asking for is the chance to have a fair election clearly determining who the eUK citizens believe deserves to be the "Official" MU. And the lack of acknowledgement from the government isn't exactly helping the matter much either. I also acknowledge the fact that the government cannot spare the resources to create a new MU from scratch but at least this way the issue has been settled fairly. So to summarise, if Legion was declared the "Official" MU by a fair election then everyone would be happier : )

If when you start the game the president tells you to join the Legion the chances of you joining are pretty darn high. Once you're in there you will most likely not leave because it is where you developed and were given a chance.

You are reading an article written by a citizen of eRepublik, an immersive multiplayer strategy game based on real life countries. Create your own character and help your country achieve its glory while establishing yourself as a war hero, renowned publisher or finance guru.